High Pain Catastrophizing Predicts Greater Benefit from Electroacupuncture in Cancer Survivors with Chronic Pain

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This study investigated whether a patient’s tendency to catastrophise pain — that is, to ruminate on it, feel helpless, or magnify its threat — influences how well acupuncture works for chronic pain in cancer survivors. Researchers conducted a secondary analysis of the PEACE trial, examining data from 266 cancer survivors who received either electroacupuncture or battlefield acupuncture for chronic pain. Pain catastrophising was measured using the Pain Catastrophising Scale, and pain outcomes — including severity and interference with daily life — were assessed at twelve weeks using the Brief Pain Inventory.

Approximately fifteen percent of participants had high baseline pain catastrophising scores. Among those who received electroacupuncture, patients with high pain catastrophising showed significantly greater reductions in both pain severity and pain interference compared with those who had low pain catastrophising. This pattern was not observed in the battlefield acupuncture group, where pain catastrophising levels did not significantly affect outcomes. Notably, among high pain catastrophising patients, a markedly higher proportion responded to electroacupuncture than to battlefield acupuncture, whereas among low pain catastrophising patients, response rates were similar between the two treatments.

These findings suggest that electroacupuncture may be particularly effective for psychologically vulnerable cancer survivors who tend to catastrophise their pain, supporting the use of precision approaches to pain management in this population.

Conclusion: Electroacupuncture appears to offer superior pain relief for cancer survivors with high pain catastrophising, highlighting its potential as a targeted, precision treatment for this vulnerable group.

Source: Jyung H, Sun L, Li Q and colleagues. Journal of pain and symptom management (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42309327) · doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2026.06.008

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